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Multiple Abuse

This Administration need not waste anymore of the taxpayers' time and money trying to define its legacy. For all Americans, the destruction and unethical implementation of public laws and policies already defines and characterizes this Administration. This is an especially hard hitting reality for those in the natural resource industries and unfortunate enough to have their lives and cultures associated with federal lands.

Abuse of and contempt for public process and public trust by Under Secretary Jim Lyons-USDA surfaced again last week. Disregarding more then 12 years of work on the land management plan for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska Jim Lyons has taken it upon himself to reduce timber harvests by 30 percent, reduce access on the designated harvesting areas by 15 percent and doubled to 200 years the harvesting cycle. Not surprising for a man who told forestry professionals at a luncheon in Washington, D.C. in 1997 that their future role on national forests would be custodial/janitorial. Inasmuch as these areas under his lawless impact will by then be dead and burned, the choices of activities will be very limited.

The published press release by the Department of Agriculture cleverly attempts to wordsmith the legal essence of the Multiple Use & Sustained Yield Act of 1960 by substituting words such as developmental status for sustained yield, and natural use for multiple use. It goes on to quote Lyons as saying "We will better meet subsistence needs of native and rural Alaskans. . ." Note the use of the word subsistence needs as though Alaska is some third world country where living like a peasant is the desired future condition. For this Administration and its hit men that is the case — a minimum lifestyle, maximum heartache and a legacy of lies.

Needless to say, this latest action of dictatorship will result in costly legal challenge or congressional intervention if Americans' rights under law are to be protected. The same is true of the legal efforts now underway to challenge the illegal road moratorium imposed on national forests.

The average citizen is understandably unaware that the U.S. Forest Service road moratorium is in violation of more then one federal law. It too reflects the dictatorship that we are now living under. It too is requiring more time, talent and money to drag the Administration and its warlords into court to make them recognize and respect the laws that the American people have chosen, through their elected representatives, to be ruled by.

However, egos far outdistance ethics in the world of optional reality. This term of Thomas Sowell's is spelled out in his book The Vision of the Anointed. Jim Lyons operates under the delusion of optional reality. Any evidence to the contrary is irrelevant where optional reality is concerned. With a demonstrated contempt for both science and integrity in public process he ignores all opinions that do not support his own. This is how "balance" is defined these days. With "Bill" as his boss what else would you expect????

We can understand that public employees have families and bills that need to be paid; and that they too have dreams and hopes for their careers---just as anyone else. However, one of their most important roles as stewards of public land is to protect not only the natural resources, but to help protect the American public from constantly changing political winds — which would deny Americans their rights under the public laws to utilize and access their natural resources.

Their courage is what is called for where both the latest assault on the Tongass National Forest is concerned, and the illegal road moratorium is concerned. The deafening silence of those who know both of these are not right or ethical will resonate in their hearts and minds long after they retire and begin collecting retirement dividends.

Americans have for decades now, demonstrated a willingness to pass strong environmental laws. Their intention in doing has never been, however, to shame their past, abuse the present and destroy their grandchildren's future. The idea was to bring all the good things forward from the lessons learned from the past. Unfortunately, cultural, environmental and economic destruction will be the legacy of this Administration. And we thought Y2K was going to be a problem!!

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